


Sledding

by SmokySky



Series: Tommy Shelby's 12 Days Of Christmas [4]
Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Advent Calendar, Advent Calendar Drabble, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, But Hey-Ho, Friendship, Gen, Playing in the Snow, Sledding, Tommy Doesn't Really Feature In This One
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-18 12:02:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21760585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmokySky/pseuds/SmokySky
Summary: 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar fic based on the prompt: Decorating A Christmas Tree/Hanging Christmas Decorations.Mabel and Ada are determined to finally beat their brothers in their yearly sled race.
Relationships: None
Series: Tommy Shelby's 12 Days Of Christmas [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559590
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	Sledding

**Author's Note:**

> So, normally, I use this space to mention a little bit about this story and the series it's part of, but as I'm in the UK and it's the 11th December 2019, I have a different message. I'm sorry if you're sick of hearing about the election, but...
> 
> **Vote. In the Election. Tomorrow.**
> 
> I normally like to keep my politics private, but in this scenario (and even though it has nothing to do with this story) I am pleading with everyone registered to vote in the UK to vote tomorrow so we can get rid of the cunts that make up the Conservative government. I do not have the words to describe how much I despise Boris Johnson, and how badly I think he will fuck over working class people, LGBT people, people of colour, disabled people, people with mental health issues, people who are poor and living under the poverty line, people who need the NHS, and many, many other people.
> 
> **So please, please vote tomorrow to get the Conservatives out of power.**
> 
> Political message done with, please enjoy the story.

“Come _on_ , Mabel, if we don’t get to the top soon the boys are going to beat us there!”

Mabel huffed and rolled her eyes at Ada’s ‘encouragement’. It wasn’t like Ada was the one hauling the sled through the streets - if she was Mabel thought she’d be a lot more understanding of why Mabel was taking her time. This sled was _heavy._

But it was the best sled out of the three at her house.

Every year, Mabel, her brothers, and the Shelbys went sledding as soon as they had enough snow: and every year they had a race: Mabel’s brothers Harrison and Edward, Ada and Mabel, and the Shelby brothers. Most years one of teams of boys won, but this year was going to be different. Mabel had gotten up early to get the best of the sleds, and now she and Ada were hurrying to get the best spot to start from. So even if Ada _was_ being annoying by hurrying Mabel drag the sled up the hill, Mabel _did_ hurry up.

They weren’t going to lose the race this year.

So even though she was sweating under her scarf and panting for breath when she and Ada made it to the top of the hill, it was worth it to see they were the first ones there. They found the spot with the easiest path down the hill: free of obstacles, bumps, or snow banks. With space on either side for the boys. Even if one of those sides would probably put them on trajectory to hit a bush about half way down the hill.

Mabel was betting that the Shelby brothers would take that side - John wouldn’t notice the bush, Arthur would think he could avoid it, and Tommy would be outvoted. Helpful, since they were probably Ada and Mabel’s _main_ competition.

“Ready to come in second, little sister?” Harrison crowed, just as he managed to reach the top of the hill with Edward dragging the sled a few feet behind.

And John was half a second behind: “The only way they’re coming in second is if you’re coming last.”

“You’ll be the ones coming in last.” Edward smirked.

The two teams of boys started to bicker back and forth, and Mabel and Ada let them, sharing a knowing look. They’d let the boys argue - in the end, the more they paid attention to each other, the less they paid attention to Mabel and Ada. And the fact they were already on their sled.

When it came to the Shelby-Oaks yearly sled races, there were very few rules...in fact, there was only one rule: no-one was allowed past the starting line one of them _(this year Mabel and Ada)_ had drawn in the snow until after the word _‘Go’_ had been shouted for all seven of them to hear.

Which meant Mabel felt no guilt and waiting until Ada was settled on the front of the sled, and she herself was ready to push off, before she turned to look back at the boys and shouting:

“Ready?”

John turned to see what Mabel and Ada were doing, and then immediately starting scrambling towards his sled: “Mabel, wait!”

Mabel smirked: “Set?”

Now Harrison was glaring and trying to get in a good position to steer his and Edward’s sled: “Don’t you dare, Mabel! Don’t you - ”

_“Go!”_

Mabel shoved off and sent herself and Ada hurtling down the hill, while their brothers cursed behind them.

For a few amazing seconds, the world turned into a blur of the white of the snow on the ground and the pale grey of the sky: the trees passing the girls by so fast they seemed like nothing more than flashes at the edges of Mabel’s vision. She could feel the find whipping at her cheeks, leaving her breathless until she and Ada came to a stop by crash into a snowbank at the bottom of the hill. Before either of the teams of boys.

They sat up from where they had fallen into the snow, giggling at their victory, and watching as Harrison and Edward made it to the bottom of the hill, and John and Arthur were stuck in the bush Mabel knew they would hit, while Tommy was still standing at the top of the hill, shaking his head.

“That was a dirty trick!” Harrison shouted...but he was grinning: “I’m so proud of you two.”

“We want another race!” John demanded from his spot halfway up the hill: “The girls cheated!”

“Did not!”

“Did so!”

“Did not!”

“Did so!”

Mabel smirked: “Can’t break the rules if there are no rules, John-boy. But if you and Arthur really want another chance to come last...”

Edward laughed: “And she’s got the trash talk as well! Our little sister is growing up so fast...”

John and Arthur grumbled, but with some help from Tommy managed to untangle their sled from the bush and make it down to the bottom of the hill.

Mabel didn’t care that they were in a bad mood. She and Ada had won the race, for the first time _ever_. Nothing was going to ruin this day for her - even if they had to re-do the race and the girls didn’t win. As far as Mabel was concerned, she and Ada were the winners, and the boys couldn’t change that.

“We’re doing new teams!” Arthur demanded: “It’s not fair that we’re always stuck with an extra person.”

Tommy sharply stepped away from his brothers: “I’m not with John or Arthur!”

“Me and Mabel are a team now!” Edward shouted - setting Harrison off asking why Edward got to team with Mabel and not him.

Soon enough Harrison, Edward, Ada, John, and Arthur were all arguing about who got to be on who’s team...all while Tommy and Mabel watched on.

They already knew they were going to be a team - they were always on the same team, when they weren’t split up by the fact that Tommy was a boy and Mabel was a girl. Now they weren’t choosing the teams by boys vs girls, of course they were going to be on a team together.

The only question was...were they going to make it fair for the others?

“Want to grab the best sled and go and get a head start?” Tommy asked under his breath.

Mable grinned: “Obviously.”

No, of course they weren’t going to be fair to their siblings.

They were going to _win_.

_After all, can’t cheat and break the rules if there are no rules to break._


End file.
